Cevanti
For details see Cevanti Cevanti are generally lean and stand around 150-175cm tall, and as such are ill suited to physical labor. They are human with a tan skin tone and dark hair, resembling mediterranean people. Females and males tend to be equally tall, and being human, only the males grow facial hair. Cevanti society is highly culturally refined and very hedonistic. There is a sharp divide between its classes, with the wealthy merchant class expending more energy in the pursuit of entertainment than anything else, while the middle classes maintain the Republic's bewildering bureaucracy, and most of its labor being done by slaves. Cevanti is formally a Republic, but in practice the state is governed by an oligarchy of powerful merchant and sorcerer families, and the elections for office are usually corrupt and never fair. Art is very prominent in Cervanti society, especially in written form, largely thanks to its long traditions in the arcane arts. Starting Area: Southern-most large island on Vynn, currently called 'Starter Island', or Southern Vynn. Nation Imperial Republic of Cevanti Government Republic / Oligarchy The Cevanti Republic's rise came at a heavy cost to Vynn, and though that nation has enjoyed independence for a generation or two, they still remember the empire's bloody hubris. The senate has had no real power for many years, the imperial treasuries leak their remaining war-loot like time through an hourglass--wars grow easy in such climate, but war with whom? The Cevanti noblehouses buy so much silk from Silkport that the thought of invading it is laughable, but as the cracks in their empire grow ever-closer to the cornerstones, who can say? The Vynn navy is made all the more fearsome by Andrun cannons and gun technology, and invading the frozen wastes to seize Orc hovels serves no purpose at all. Still, the population is kept happy with games, menageries of strange beasts captured abroad, and the highest standard of living in the region. Things are not all bad for the Cevanti. Physiology Cevanti are generally lean and stand around 150-175cm tall, and as such are ill suited to physical labor, preferring instead the finer things in life. They are sophisticated and intelligent, and while their empire now is a shadow of its former self, they remain a force to be reckoned with. They are human with a tan skin tone and dark hair, resembling Mediterranean people. Females and males tend to be equally tall, and being human, only the males grow facial hair Religion By and large, Cevanti are indifferent about religion. The need for belief in the divine has been substituted by a belief in the arcane, and so religion has broadly become a non-issue in the Republic. There is a wide variety of cults, minor deities and other outbursts of religious fervor throughout the Republic, but most of its citizens are content to leave the divine alone as long as it leaves them alone. Economy As a result of its past as a trade empire, the Cevanti have inherited a strong infrastructure, and a vast fleet of cargo scows, merchantmen and other trade ships carry goods to and from the harbors of the Republic. As a result, their logistical ability is second to none among the races. They have a wide range of exports, primarily luxuries and household goods, and are completely reliant on grain imports to make up for the shortfalls in domestic food production. Technology The Cevanti Republic has considerable insight into the technologies of medicine, architecture and large-scale construction, but the upper class jealously guard their privileges, so the common folk of the Republic rarely see any benefit from this knowledge. The primary advancements of the Cevanti are in the area of mathematics, language and conservation - all quite necessary things to run and maintain an empire of the size that the Republic once controlled. Sorcery The Cevanti Republic contains the most powerful sorcerers in the known world. The ruling body is almost entirely composed of sorcerers, and every man of power who does not practice the art himself has a household sorcerer to advise him and aid in his endeavors. The sorcerers primarily serve as a sort of spiritual guide and assistant, and collect a hefty pay for their services. Teachers in all six schools of magic can be found in the Cevanti capital, and wherever the armies of the Cevanti go, so do their war sorcerers. Military Army The Cevanti army relies heavily on the arcane arts, employing sorcerers for everything from raining death on their foes to ensuring the weather is favorable. The actual troops consist of militia wielding spears and bows, usually employed in vast, deep formations, breaking the enemy by sheer numbers and organization, with the sorcerers functioning as shock troops. The negative population growth and shrinking of the middle class has led to a larger number of levies and slave troops, and the Cevanti army's quality is currently in decline. Navy The Imperial fleet was once the pride of the Republic, second to none, but all that changed during the disastrous Battle of the Narrows, when Vynn rebels and their Andrun allies trapped and destroyed almost the entire Cevanti fleet as it was entering the inner sea of Vynnland. These days, the Cevanti still maintain a number of permanent warships, primarily modified Galleons, but for the most part it has adopted the Silkport tactic of adding guns and soldiers to large amounts of merchant ships when the need arises. Relations Andrun Cevanti and Andrun operate on a relationship of mutual distrust and have little interaction. Andrun has never forgotten the Republic's many attempts to make Andrun a part of its domains, and the cultural differences between the two nations could not be larger. There is no direct trade between Andrun and Cevanti - any goods passing from Cevanti to Andrun or vice versa go through Silkport first. Vynn A century ago, Vynn was a domain of the Cevanti Republic. A popular rebellion in the Vynn capital, and the subsequent defeat of the Cevanti fleet, saw the signing of a peace treaty where the Republic was forced to recognize Vynn's independence. The Cevanti still consider Vynnland their rightful property, but lack the means to enforce these claims. Current relations are somewhat frosty, but with the creation of a new noble class in Vynnland, the vast demandfor Cevanti luxury goods has served to overcome their national distrust, and the Cevanti markets have an equally insatiable need for dried fish, timber, metal and furs from Vynnland. Silkport Silkport and the Cevanti Republic have a colorful history going back centuries. They have been allies, enemies, trading partners, and eternal competitors over the profitable export of luxury goods to less developed nations. At times, Silkport has been a Cevanti assal, but never for long, as its fiercely independent merchant houseshave staged one rebellion after another against their would-be overlords. In recent times, Silkport and Cevanti have clashed a number of times for dominance over the colonies in the far south, but both nations are far too reliant on trade to do anything that would seriously jeopardize their mutual shipping routes. *